Des Moines Register: Beto Storms Iowa

[Laura PourMeADrink]

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2019/03/14/beto-o-rourke-iowa-2020-presidential-run-election-caucus-democrat-fort-madison-obama-trump-campaign/3157222002/

Snip

'Amazed at his energy'

Joan Crowe, a 66-year-old retired nurse from Donnellson, said in Fort Madison that she didn't know much about O'Rourke going into the day but thinks "he must be good" if he could nearly beat Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in reliably Republican Texas. After the event, she said she left feeling hopeful.

"He's got the energy and he has a lot of things that he's saying that just amaze me how in sync I feel with him," she said. "He said he's against everything Trump believes in, so I think that's going to work for me. I'm just really amazed at his energy. It's like visiting my daughter. I just feel very hopeful."

After the event in Burlington, Lauren Willson, a 17-year-old Burlington resident, invited O'Rourke to talk with her school's politics club.

"We want to come to the high school," he told her, ensuring she had a staff member's card before posing for a selfie with her and a friend. "Thanks for the invitation."

Willson, who said O'Rourke is her favorite Democratic candidate, said she was impressed at the way he spoke about policy.

"Our teacher for government let us know he was going to be here, because we'd been following him since the Senate race," she said. "I think all of the things he's supporting are really important to the country right now."